Israel to dismantle part of wall; Palestinians hold demos

By: Ahmad Hammadi

HELD JERUSALEM: Israeli officials said Saturday that the government would begin tearing down part of a West Bank barrier on the eve of World Court hearings over the legality of the controversial project.

Work to remove an eight km (five mile) section of the barrier near the West Bank villages of Baka al-Sharqiya and Zeita would begin on Sunday, Israeli Defense Ministry spokeswoman Rachel Niedak-Ashkenazi told.

She called the timing of the barrier's removal on the eve of the International Court of Justice deliberations a coincidence and said it had been planned for six months.

Meanwhile, thousands of Palestinians staged noisy street demonstrations across the West Bank on Saturday to protest the Israeli barrier.

The demonstrations were among the largest public outpourings of anger at the barrier, which Palestinians fear will ruin chances for establishing an independent state because parts of it dip deep into the West Bank.

The demonstrations came ahead of hearings to start Monday at the International Court of Justice, in The Hague, Netherlands, to determine if the barrier is legal at the request of the United Nations General Assembly.

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